ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have signed forward Matt Hendricks to a one-year contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Hendricks, a 6’0’’, 215-pound native of Blaine, Minn., registered nine goals, seven assists and 74 penalty minutes in 56 games for the Colorado Avalanche during the 2009-10 NHL season. Hendricks, 29, who was invited to the Washington Capitals’ training camp on a tryout basis, has wasted little time acclimating himself to Washington, leading the Capitals to their first preseason win with a hat trick in a 6-2 victory at Columbus.

Hendricks played for Capitals’ head coach Bruce Boudreau as a member of the Capitals’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hershey Bears in 2006-07. He recorded 18 goals and 26 assists for a total of 44 points in 65 regular season games that year. Hendricks also appeared in 19 AHL playoff matches that season, scoring eight goals and registering four assists.